Getting Started Athena

So I'm ready to take the plunge after months of lurking around and procrastinating.

I visited my local bike shop and have narrowed my selection down, although I'm totally open to other suggestions.

Trek Navigator 2.0
Specialized Vienna 2
Trek FX 7.3, FELL IN LOVE WITH, it's the women's design or something, but the price assaults my senses. I wasn't prepared to pay this much but it felt so much better than the others so any ideas or similar suggestions would be appreciated.

The guy at the bike shop seems pretty adamant about me not needing double walled tires or a different saddle. I'm not sure what to do about this, do I take his advice or go with the double walled tires?

I'm currently weighing in at 348lbs. I would like to add cycling to my current workout.

When I walked into the shop I was prepared to just buy some basic trek that was pretty, a mountain bike I tried before, now I'm all confused.

You have to make sure you are comfortable on the bike, even if that means spending a bit more on it. Think about it...if you are not comfortable riding for longer periods of time how is it going to be enjoyable? If the bike fits well you will get much more enjoyment out of it and stick with it

Get the bike you love or you'll just have another piece of machinery clogging up your garage. Bikes are WAY more expensive than non-riders think they should be. Then get riding, it's good for the soul.

I'd have to agree with Rock31 on getting a bike you are comfortable with. If not you're probably buying something you're not going to ride. My FX series Trek is a pretty sound bike so if you really fell in love with the FX7.3 WSD then maybe it's a good way to go for you.

I am one of those addicted to bikes, so I have several. I have a Trek Navigator 2.0 and a Trek FX 7.5 both WSD. DH has a 7.3 and had a Specialized Globe Vienna 3. The day I rode the Navigator I had a big smile on my face and it came home with me. I still have it as amy cruise the neighborhood and errand bike. I still like it and several of my friends ride it when they come over for a ride. Within about 6 months I wanted something lighter (bear putting it on a rack for transport) and faster. I purchased the 7.5 at that time. It is ligher and faster but I really don't like the riding position on it...just can't get comfy. Another 2 months and I got my first (of several) road bikes. With respect to my DH he rides the 7.3 occasionally, but it is not cushy enough for him. He sold the Vienna after about 6 months because it was too cushy and very upright. After this ramble, my advice is to ride all the ones you can (even ones you have not mentioned) and see which one makes you smile and fall in love with riding. Just be cautioned, this is your first bike, but probably not you last.

I have a hybrid that is similar in style and geometry to the TrekFX. I love that bike. My spouse has the Navigator. He likes it well enough but I think that if he keeps riding that he will move to a lighter bike, maybe the FX. I really think that you have to go with what feels best for you because that is what you will ride the most.

As far as durability, my thought is that I would start with the bike in the stock configuration. Technically, the posted weight limit for the Treks, both the Navigator and the FX is 300 pounds. My spouse has ridden the Navigator in stock configuration at your approximate weight with no issues other than he had to get a better seat post clamp as the seat post would not stay in position. You might end up having wheels go out of true or bust spokes. If that happens you can upgrade the wheels.

I would also stick with the saddle that is on the bike until you have some miles on the bike. No matter what it takes a while for your butt to adapt to riding. It is hard to make a judgment about a seat until you have some miles on the bike.

I would also stick with the saddle that is on the bike until you have some miles on the bike. No matter what it takes a while for your butt to adapt to riding. It is hard to make a judgment about a seat until you have some miles on the bike.

^^^ This is good advice. When you first start riding, or when you start again after a long break, your butt is going to hurt. And a lot of beginners respond to that by getting a softer saddle. That is almost always a big mistake. The late, lamented Sheldon Brown explains why.

That said, if the saddle is too narrow for your sit bones, it really can cause a lot of pain. You should feel like, when you sit on the saddle, it is supporting those bones (the ischial tuberosities, in anatomy-speak).

If you ride every other day, and your butt still hurts after a couple of weeks, then it might be time to think about changing saddles. At that point, read or reread Sheldon's page and take a look at alternatives.

I would really recommend this article about bike saddles for women.http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/...e-saddles.html
your LBS isn't going to bring up the topic and knowing that there are work arounds if you have problems could help keep you from getting discouraged if you have issues.

I would also be interested to know what type of cycling you plan to do (city-commuter biking, off road/trail riding, back alley etc) before picking out a bike.